You Took Me By The Hand
by LaSaggezza
Summary: Artemis spends the summer with a new girl to "learn social skills", as his mother Angeline said. So read the story. (AN: I know it took some time for me to update, but I've been uber-busy. Sorry)
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: It's the usual crap: I do not own anyone of these characters but Amara. She is mine, all mine! And just so you know, some random characters, possibly from Harry Potter or something may pop up later in the story. So if they do, I do not own them, either. Duh.

The sound of young female laughter reached Artemis and Butler's ears. A few tables to their right were a table of five teenage girls, all about 16 years old or so. Artemis surveyed them with disinterest. They weren't particularly spectacular, although the bleach blonde was "a looker", as he had heard some of the snobby boys that went to Saint Bartleby's, the prep school he attended when not on a mission.

But it was the girl with her back to him that caught his attention. She was the only one without dark or dyed hair; rather, it was a red-gold color that didn't come from a bottle or a salon that curled slightly at the ends. She was, from what he could see of her, extremely pale with freckles, and was almost falling out of her chair laughing. Several other people at nearby tables were looking at them. She tried to calm herself down, but because her friends were laughing too, it was next to impossible for the girl.

Butler watched Artemis look at the group of girls with amusement on his face. Finally, the young boy—young man, as he now was—was getting interested in the opposite sex. About time, he thought. Butler glanced at his watch. The girl who would be spending the summer with Artemis and himself was late. To be honest, Butler felt sorry for that poor girl, who would be unused to Artemis and his ways.

The red-gold haired girl also looked at her watch, exclaimed that she was late (with an American accent, Artemis noted), and said goodbye to her friends. She looked around at the different tables, and spotted Artemis and Butler. She walked slowly over to them and inquired, "Are you Artemis Fowl II and Butler?" Artemis looked at her coolly and said, "Yes. Who is asking?"

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry. My name is Amaranta, but please, call me Amara. I am supposed to-"

"Yes, yes," cut in Artemis impatiently. "You are late."

"I-I'm sorry. I lost track of the time. I haven't seen my friends in a long time, so I was caught up," replied Amara.

Butler sighed, and looked at Artemis. "We'd better get going, sir." "Yes," was the curt answer. "The limo is waiting."

Amara was led to a sleek black limo, where the taciturn Butler loaded her luggage into the truck. He slid into the driver's seat, after opening the door for both Artemis and Amara. _Great, _she thought. _I'm stuck here in the back with Lord Pompous Prick-Boy._ Outwardly, she tried to smile and said, "So, how old are you?" "Sixteen," came the short reply. "Where do you go to school?" she tried again. "Why do you wish to know, Miss Amaranta?"

"Please call me Amara," she replied, slightly irked. "Fine, Miss _Amara_, why do you want to know?" came the irritated question. "Please, don't call me Miss. And I want to know because I am making polite conversation. Does that satisfy you?"

"No, it does not," Artemis replied with a smirk. Amara smirked back. This was going to be an interesting summer.

Suddenly, a strange tune (to Artemis) filled the car. Amara laughed suddenly, then reached into her pocket to pull out her cell phone. "Hello?" she answered, glaring at Artemis, who was smirking. She was quiet for a few minutes, and Artemis thought, _Finally!_ _Why does she insist on chatting about the stupidest things? Girls!_

As he was lost in thought, he didn't notice the change in Amara's face, going from annoyance to anger to concern. "Oh he did NOT," she said loudly, startling Artemis out of his reverie and as Artemis was about to snap at her, he saw her face. It was a mix of anger, concern, fear, and dislike. Although she was practically boring a hole through his head, he knew the look was not meant for him.

"Jess, you MUST tell me what he has done. I need to know if I am to help you!" Silence for a few seconds, and muted sobbing sounded throughout the compartment of the limo. "Shh, shh, it's okay. You'll be fine, you'll be okay. I'll get it done tonight." Quiet once more. "Oh don't you worry, Jessie, that bastard won't know what's hit him when I'm through with him." Silence. "How, you ask? Hon, I have connections. Leave it to me. Okay? All right. Call me if you need anything, even if it's three in the morning here and I try to bite your head off." Amara laughed. "Okay. Bye." She closed her phone and put it back in her pocket.

"Sorry," she said, smiling apologetically. Artemis shrugged. "My friend's father won't leave her alone. I need to get a restraining order for him." "In one night?" asked Artemis. "I have…connections," she smiled secretively. And five minutes and three phone calls later, Amara had the restraining order written and put into action. Artemis was, against his will, impressed. At first sight, Amara had just seemed to be your typical teenage girl with raging hormones, not a care for the world, but only for her appearance, friends, boys, and the media. It proved that appearances did not tell all.

"So, do you like sports?" asked Amara amiably. Artemis stared, then spat, "Sports! I, mademoiselle, interested in sports?" "I guess not," muttered Amara. She liked to run long distance, swim, dance, and to cycle. Artemis read her face and said, "We do, however have exercise facilities at the manor, if you wish to use them." Amara smiled. _Maybe things wouldn't be that bad, _she thought.


	2. Feuding and Pacifying

The Usual Disclaimer: I don't own anything but Amara.

A/N: Sorry this took so long. I have two AP exams to prepare for, finals to study for, etc. School sucks.

The Bentley pulled up into the driveway. Amara stared at the large, elegant manor before her. _Whoa_, she thought.

"Welcome to Fowl Manor, Miss Amara," said Butler, smiling as he watched the surprised look on her face.

"Thank you," she responded, still awed. Butler got out, performed his usual check on the car and property, and began to unload Amara's luggage. She couldn't wait to look inside of the manor. Or explore it, as she was wont to do when she was bored. _Although_, she thought with a silent groan, _Lord Ratface will probably overload me with enough paperwork and homework that I won't have time to be bored, or do anything else, for that matter._ Lord Ratface, or Lord Fenton as he was better known to most of the world, was her personal manager and assistant, as well as constant source of annoyance, a superiority complex and pomposity.

For Amara was none other than a Princess of England. A low-ranking one, but she was still a princess. It was an honorary title, bestowed upon her because of her work in the Middle East and with other world-wide charities.

"Earth to Amara, are you there?" Artemis interrupted her thoughts and waved his hand in front of her face. "Would you like to go in, or just stand here admiring the masonry?"

Amara smirked and replied, "Of course, Master Fowl." She stepped in ahead of Artemis, carrying two of her bags. What she saw inside astounded her. And it took a lot to astound Amara, who had lived in Buckingham Palace and Whitehall for a short period of time.

The entrance hall was a light khaki color, with a few mahogany pieces of furniture, matching the trim. There were several paintings on the wall, depicting previous owners of Fowl Manor. She walked next into the parlor, which was a slightly darker, cozier shade of tan, with fancy leather chairs and sofas. There were also many pieces of beautiful glass and crystal. Amara looked at those very warily, mentally warning herself to never go in that room if possible. She was not the most graceful person on the planet.

Walking quickly through the rest of the manor, Amara could see that most of the rooms were out-fitted the same way. Except the room that she would be staying in. Because of her tastes being very different to the Fowls', Amara had requested that her room have as little precious and antique furniture and pieces as possible. Her room was a pale yellow, with a blue, green and yellow comforter and matching curtains. There was a cherry wood desk with a new, state-of-the-art computer there for her use, and a place for her to put her laptop. Upon closer inspection, the window had its own seat and the closet was a small walk-in.

Artemis stood at the doorway, watching her take in her new surroundings. "Does this match your expectations, Highness?" he asked mockingly. Amara whirled around, startled at being addressed as so. "How…?" she wondered out loud.

"Do you think I don't do background checks on someone who will be living in my own house for the summer?" he replied with a smirk.

"Please, just call me Amara," she said. "I don't like Your Highness, Princess, or whatever other royal title you can think of."

"Why not?" asked Artemis, genuinely curious. He thought that almost all girls would be in heaven addressed as Princess or Your Highness.

"Because it goes against what I believe in. I think that everyone is equal and I don't like the divine right policy or whatever," she answered.

"And someone knows her history," remarked Artemis sarcastically. "Congratulations. I am truly proud of you. After all, I thought that the only things you would know would be about which stars are going out with who and what movies are coming out soon."

Amara glared. What was his problem anyways? "Would it kill you to be decent to another human being?"

Artemis thought about this. He was fairly kind to the People. Good thing she only said human beings. "Yes."

"Good," she snapped. "I hope it does." With that, she whirled around, whipping her long red-gold hair into Artemis's face and slammed the door.

Amara couldn't sleep. She attributed it to being in a new place, but she knew it was because of Artemis. It wasn't in her nature to be a bitch to people she just met, and she loathed it. She rolled over to look at her alarm clock. 6:05 am. She sighed. Might as well go for a run to calm myself down, she thought. With that, she got up and threw on some running clothes and shoes, and snuck quietly out the back way.

As she jogged, Amara looked around her at the small forest that surrounded Fowl Manor. She decided just to run around the manor and later that day, explore a bit to find a trail she could run on. Breathing in the fresh Irish early morning air, Amara felt much better and more awake. She snuck back into the kitchen, only to find Artemis and Butler there, eating breakfast. She glanced at her watch. It was only 7:30am.

"Why are you up so early?" she inquired of both males.

"Perhaps I have some 'business' to attend to this early in the morning. It is none of your business what I do anyways," replied Artemis waspishly. He was not a morning person by all means.

Amara studied his face. Although he had light purple circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, his sky-blue eyes were still brilliant. His dark hair was slightly ruffled from the tossing and turning of a sleepless night. He was still in his robe.

"Didn't sleep well last night, either?" she asked emotionlessly. Artemis started. This girl could read him like a book.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked her. Now it was Amara's turn to look surprised.

"I think that is the first kind thing you have said to me since I've been here," she said in mock wonder. "Now I know it won't kill you!"

"Don't make a fool of me," snapped Artemis.

"Yeah, you can do it all by yourself," she retorted. "What a big boy!"

Butler glanced at his charge, trying not to laugh. He was obviously not used to this kind of talk. Butler thought how good it would be for Artemis to be exposed to this banter. After all, it was how the real world was run. And it would be a source of amusement for him.

Artemis saw his bodyguard's face and looked indignant. "Butler, you find this amusing?" he asked with a glare. Butler hurried to straighten his features.

"Sir, I think that it would be a good idea for you to be nice to her," Butler said. "After all, she will be spending the summer here."

Artemis sighed. Butler's irrefutable logic had once again won out. He held out his hand to Amara. "Truce?" he asked her.

Amara stared at his hand, and then stuck out her own. "But I will still be sarcastic and all, okay?" Artemis sighed, and then they shook.

"Awesome," remarked Amara. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to eat. Or I will be über-grouchy and mean as a bear. And believe me, you don't want that." With that, she started rummaging the cabinets for some breakfast food and dishes.

The phone rang. Butler picked it up, and, covering the mouthpiece, said to Artemis, "Could you get Amara? It's for her."

Artemis sighed, put down his New Yorker magazine, and trudged up the stairs. He knocked on her door. No answer. He pushed it open and saw her bathroom door closed and heard the shower running. He knocked, and yelled, "The phone is for you!"

"Okay, just a sec!" she yelled back. Amara opened the door, clad only in a towel, with her hair dripping and her skin shining with the water. She saw him stare, then snapped, "It's rude to stare."

For once, Artemis did not have a witty retort at the tip of his tongue. Perhaps it was the shock of seeing a female clad in only a towel, and his knowledge that there was no other clothing underneath. Maybe it was the fact that he decided to honor the truce they had made.

His thoughts were once more interrupted by Amara. "What do you mean, I have to have this document read and understood by Thursday! It's bloody Tuesday, and it's at least two hundred pages long!" Tense silence. "Fine. Whatever. I don't care. I am going to get this done as soon as possible, but it definitely won't be done by Thursday!" With that, she slammed the phone down, glared at Artemis, and slammed the bathroom door shut.


	3. UmRandomness!

A/N: I am sooo sorry this took so long. I really am. Blame my teachers and stupid AP exams. And other things. But here it is.

The next day, Artemis decided as soon as he woke up to stay the heck out of Amara's way. Obviously, she was feeling rather…frustrated with the world at the moment. _That was putting it nicely_, he thought sarcastically. He sighed and got up to take his shower. Just then, his cell phone rang. He had forgotten to turn it off last night. And since one of the only two groups of people who knew that number were in the same house as him and wouldn't call him on his phone because that would be silly, Artemis knew then who it was.

"Hello," he answered. It was not a question.

"Mud Boy, how are you?" Artemis knew that whiney voice. It was Foaly, master technological inventor and genius of the People.

"Just pea-" started Artemis.

"That's really great," interrupted Foaly. "Look, Fowl, we have an important issue at hand here. And sadly yes, we do need your help, or else I wouldn't be calling you."

"Does the Commander know about you calling me?" asked Artemis with a smirk.

"Yes."

"I see…." said Artemis. "So what is this problem that you require my assistance on?"

"We are about to be discovered. You remember Jon Spiro? Well, apparently, some lunatic doctor at the insane asylum that he was at—ha ha—actually decided to see if there was any proof to Spiro's insane ranting. He's come pretty damn close. If it hadn't been for me-"

"The People would have been discovered a century ago. Yes, Foaly, I know. So what part do you want me to play in this?" inquired Artemis.

"We want you to make him shut up. Permanently."

"Are we talking murder, Foaly? Cause Butler would be-"

"No, ignorant Mud Man. I mean scare him into not telling. Get him to think something else. I don't care. Just that what he is thinking is not real," said Foaly with the air of one who knows his superiors are on his hindquarters to get something done fast.

"Okay, Foaly. I will. But I need time to plan and think of how I am going to do this. There may be a slight complication-"

Amara walked into the study and asked, "Artemis, who's that? You do remember that you are supposed to be leaving for that thingy in town today, right?"

Foaly overheard. "She's the complication? Who is she? And why is she at your house? And what is that 'thingy' she is talking about!"

Artemis turned to Amara. "Can't you see? I'm on the phone. Please inform Butler that I shall be down in a few minutes. And please, be articulate when you talk to me."

Amara stuck her tongue out at Artemis and retorted, "Well, I'll tell What's-his-face that you'll be down the whatchamacallits in a few do-dads to get in the dealie-mabober to go to the thingy!"

Foaly once again heard her and chuckled. "You really know how to pick them, Artemis."

Artemis, stunned, shouted into the phone, "I did NOT pick her! I was CHOSEN!"

Amara started laughing. "Does this person think YOU of all people picked me? Haha, that's pretty funny. Here, let me-"

With that, she grabbed the phone from Artemis and proceeded to talk to Foaly.

"Who are you? Ack. I don't mean to be rude when I say that. I'm just wondering."

Foaly stuttered a bit. "I'm, uh, Charles. Yeah, Charles Marrose. Mu-I mean Artemis's other…uh, bodyguard."

Amara was not fooled by this, but she did not let on. "Oh really? I didn't think Artemis had any need of another bodyguard. Oh well. A boy genius like him"-with that, she smirked at Artemis-"you can never be too watchful."

Foaly heartily agreed with her. Artemis was trying to get the phone back from Amara, he could hear. Before he got it away from her, he hastily asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm-I'm Amara. Amaranth Macciliani-MacMillian is my full name." But just as she said that, Artemis succeeded in grabbing the phone away from her. But as he did that, he accidentally (!) brushed—no, rubbed up against—Amara's chest. Something which she was very uncomfortable with.

Foaly was laughing hard. Artemis said, "Hello? Are you there?" All he heard was this wheezing sound and a whiney laugh. "Fine. Be that way. Talk to you later." He ended the connection.

Artemis stalked over to Amara, who was just sitting in one of the chairs in the study, staring straight ahead in the wall and arms crossed over her chest.

"Thank you very much, Amaranth Macciliani-MacMillian." Artemis was rather unnerved by the whole thing. If she had actually found out about the People, Foaly (and everyone else, he thought) would want his arse for burning at the stake.

Amara was on the defense. "Well, when you are talking about me, I like to know who you are talking to me about. For all I know it could have been…it could have been…"

She didn't have to say any more. Artemis knew exactly who she was talking about. Everyone did. Several weeks before she arrived at the Fowl Manor, she was almost murdered by her manager, Colin BearLake, and his assistants. Rumor was that he was still after her. All the same, he was offended. And he let her know.

"Do you actually believe that I would associate with someone like him?" he asked her plainly.

"Well, I did some reading of your past, so…"

"I don't associate with idiots. BearLake was certainly one," said Artemis gently. Whoa. Pause. Artemis saying things gently? Even this didn't register correctly with Artemis. Granted, he'd always been a quiet speaker, but gentle had never been an adjective to describe him.

"Okay. I'm sorry. I really am. I'm just being paranoid and stupid. I'm sorry." With that statement, Amara got up quickly to leave the study before she started shaking and going all weird, like she did whenever she thought of Colin. She knew why. It was because Colin was-

Artemis interrupted her thoughts. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. I was just-"

"COME ON, ARTEMIS!" shouted Butler.

Artemis gave Amara a quick hug then started downstairs.

Amara stood there, watching the door for half an hour after Artemis had departed. She didn't know why. But she did. She was doing some thinking. Serious thinking.

Like, why had Artemis Fowl II, infamous for being cold and ruthless, just hugged her?


End file.
